heavy 4-weight M&L 1 steers$337.45/cwt-0.40 vs last sale · ≈ $1,615/hd at 479 lb · 1,434 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers$359.50/cwt-5.24 vs last sale · ≈ $1,539/hd at 428 lb · 1,221 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 heifers$324.58/cwt-1.57 vs last sale · ≈ $1,373/hd at 423 lb · 1,168 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
16,679
14,788
17,024
Feeder cattle
13,924
11,800
14,291
Slaughter cattle
2,045
2,210
1,947
Replacement cattle
710
778
786
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last week steer calves sold steady and heifer calves sold unevenly steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder steers and heifers sold 6.00 to 8.00 lower on thin test of plainer looking offering. Slaughter cows sold steady with instance of lean cows selling 3.00 higher. Bulls sold 3.00 to 4.00 lower. Demand was moderate to good throughout the week. Most calves were hide, hair and running gear condition as they came out of very dry range conditions, living off mommas' milk and top-quality genetics. Most calves hitting the scale are roughly 20 to 40 lbs lighter than expected. Yearling operators have had a profitable year and are eager to get these light calves bought while they are available. Another large run of slaughter cows as ranchers continue to send open, thin and lower producing cows to town. Little more hay hitting the market with ranchers figuring out how much tonnage they may need to get to next summer and to wean freshly bought calves.
USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of
the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is
muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle
scores — common across the Southeast.
What is $/cwt?
Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at
$450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per
cwt but less per head.
Why are some prices per head?
Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the
head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a
$/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News —
federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the
official USDA document at the top of the page.
Cattle Market
Compared to last week steer calves sold steady and heifer calves sold unevenly steady to 4.00 higher. Feeder steers and heifers sold 6.00 to 8.00 lower on thin test of plainer looking offering. Slaughter cows sold steady with instance of lean cows selling 3.00 higher. Bulls sold 3.00 to 4.00 lower. Demand was moderate to good throughout the week. Most calves were hide, hair and running gear condition as they came out of very dry range conditions, living off mommas' milk and top-quality genetics. Most calves hitting the scale are roughly 20 to 40 lbs lighter than expected. Yearling operators have had a profitable year and are eager to get these light calves bought while they are available. Another large run of slaughter cows as ranchers continue to send open, thin and lower producing cows to town. Little more hay hitting the market with ranchers figuring out how much tonnage they may need to get to next summer and to wean freshly bought calves.